Making safety 'top priority'

State police say Toll Road drivers forget about dangers

State police say Toll Road drivers forget about dangers

August 14, 2006|CHRIS GAUTZ and JOSHUA STOWE Tribune Staff Writers

BRISTOL -- The fiery crash Aug. 1 near a construction zone on the Indiana Toll Road that claimed five lives serves as a deadly reminder of just how quickly things can go wrong. That reminder lingered in the air for hours after the crash as the vehicles involved sat smoldering on the road, too hot and too large to move. But after the smoke cleared and a fresh batch of drivers from across the country took their tickets and steamed ahead, would they have any idea what had happened? And for those who did, how soon after would their driving patterns return to normal and they eventually not even notice the charred grass at mile marker 99? Toll Road: Safety a priority Sgt. Trent Smith, public information officer for the Indiana State Police, said hearing about a horrific accident does affect people initially. But just as being slapped with a speeding ticket leads people to slow down at first, in time, people forget. "People think it's a one-in-a-million thing and it won't happen to them," Smith said. Even with the reminder of the Aug. 1 crash gone, the site near where it happened is still under construction with orange signs, flashing arrows and a reduced speed sign posted well before it. "Safety is definitely our top priority," said Matt Pierce, spokesman for ITR Concession Co., which operates the Toll Road. "We want people to feel safe and be safe when they are on our roads." Before a construction project is let out for bid, Toll Road officials create an MOT, or individual "maintenance of traffic," for each project. All MOTs for the Toll Road are set at or greater than federal uniform traffic guidelines, he said. Pierce said the construction site near the most recent fatal crash was above the federal guidelines. At the taper -- where the road narrows from two lanes to one -- the Toll Road is using two arrow signs. The federal mandate requires only one arrow sign. After the deadly accident, nothing was changed at the site to alert drivers of the upcoming construction zone. "With us adhering to the MOT, the construction zone is up to standard," Pierce said. "It's very tragic," he said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the family." Bristol construction site Since May 2005, Toll Road travelers have been asked to drive 45 mph past Mark McCoy and his crew repairing the two bridges that span the St. Joseph River. McCoy, president of RL McCoy Inc. of Columbia City, Ind., says drivers need to learn to slow down, be courteous and pay attention to what is going on around them. "It's hard to be aware if they are preoccupied with something else," McCoy said. "People on cell phones are probably the scariest people. You really don't know if they know what they are doing." McCoy said the type of work his crew does is safer than most jobs on the Toll Road. "When we build a bridge, our exposure is somewhat limited," he said. The greatest exposure to danger comes when his crew has to shift lanes of traffic when the construction site needs to be moved. His crew is also renovating and widening the bridge over Fawn River at mile marker 119. He has about 30 employees working on the two sites right now. McCoy's crew works six days a week, 10 to 12 hours a day. "We do whatever it takes to get the job done," he said. McCoy said there is a "strong presence of police" around his site. "They are trying to do their part and keep everybody safe," he said. McCoy said he is absolutely happy with the signage around his construction areas alerting drivers that his crew is working up ahead. "The Toll Road does such a great job with warning signs," he said. "I don't think we have ever worked for someone more safety-conscious than the Toll Road." Staff writer Chris Gautz:cgautz@sbtinfo.com(574) 936-2921